The Love Dare - Day 15

Love Dare FAIL - Day 15.  Every other month we hold a Newcomer's Lunch after our 2nd worship service, inviting new attenders to come and hear a bit about Trinity, meet the staff, and mix and mingle with other new attenders and with a few Trinity folks.  It's very low key, but has proved to be a good introductory event. At the lunch, I was sharing my take on the DNA of Trinity and what makes us tick as a church, when I decided to go ahead and introduce our staff and their families.  I introduced Pastor Mark with Carissa and their kids and added a few words about them.  Then I introduced Tempa and said some complimentary (and true) things about her.  Then I introduced Linda Pingel and explained what she does and commented that husband Mark was home ill.  And finally, I introduced Jeremy with a few words about his job at Trinity.  That's when the misfire happened.   

Looking around the room, I said, "I hope I haven't overlooked anybody," and just as I said that I saw Karen sitting quietly (and un-introduced) at one of the tables and I realized that the one person I did not introduce was my wife!  So much for 1 Peter 3:7, 'Husbands, honor your wives'"  I don't know how many weddings I've done in which I've explained to a soon-to-be-husband that this verse calls for husbands to continually hold up their wives before others as they would a sparkling jewel which is designed to draw 'ooo's' and 'aahhs' from the admiring crowd.  I always explain this at weddings because I am an experienced husband (insert tongue in cheek here) and these young men need to learn this bit of biblical counsel.  However, as in all things, it's easier to explain these things than it is to continually do them!  Did I hold Karen up and honor her at this public meal?  No.  I forgot to mention her - until after I had stated aloud that I thought I had mentioned everybody.  If only I had been a bit quicker in my thinking.  I could have said, "And I've saved the best for last...!"  But God would have known the truth.  I forgot to mention her. The most influential person in my life.  The one who has believed in me more than I believe in myself.  The one who has encouraged me to become more than I would have become without her - and I forgot to mention her!

But here's the neat part.  It was a potential fail, but it didn't really materialize.  Why?  Because Karen waved it off with a flick of her wrist and laughed with everybody else as I sheepishly tried to crawl out of the hole I had just fallen into.  (Actually, she even looked like she enjoyed watching me squirm a bit!)  This is one of the things I love about Karen.  She loves me and supports me even when I do stupid things.  The picture at the right is just one illustration.  It shows Karen joyously embracing me as I shaved my head just prior to leaving for Alaska last summer.  It was a spur of the moment decision, not well thought out.  She could have just rolled her eyes, but instead, she loved me.  1 Peter 4:8 says, "love covers a multitude of sins (and stupid decisions)."  That makes it all the more crucial that we embrace the first part of 1 Peter 4:8, which says, "Above all, stay fervent in your love for one another."  Karen has helped me do that over the years, and she has practiced that herself.  Being reminded of this has made for a good day.  My 'fail' got redeemed and made into something positive!  Isn't that typical of how Jesus works in our lives?